Valhalla Legends Archive

I was installing Windows 2000 on another partition of my family computer which had XP on the other partition.  During the installation a blue screen of death came up.  I then turned the computer off.  I loaded it back up, and the BIOS didn't load correctly, so I rebooted.  Then the monitor wasn't getting a signal from the computer.  I opened up the computer and it spelt like something had burned.  I touched the video card, the motherboard, the PSU, and the harddrive, and everything was hot.  Does this mean my computer overheated?  What should I do to verify this, and if it has, what should I do?

Edit:  I think the processor may have overheated.  The metal box-like thing that the fan is mounted on which covers the processor is very hot.  Hot to where if you touch it, it burns and you immediately remove your finger from it.  This could be the reason why the computer wasn't started up properly, the processor wasn't working? Though when it booted up it sounded like the fan was working...

Did you install the CPU onto the motherboard?  Was thermal goo applied between the CPU contact surface and the CPU fan?  Is the fan properly seated?  Remove the fan and inspect everything, remove the old thermal goo, apply new thermal goo, and replace the fan.  Check to make sure all the clips engage properly and the fan is making full contact with the CPU.

Does your case have adequate fans?  Are the fans all blowing air in the same direction (all to the back, or all to the front, but NOT all in or all out)?

I booted up the computer with the case opened up and none of the fans were starting.  Could this mean the PSU is dead?  Even though the PSU powers up when I press the power button...

I don't know most of the answers to your questions, I just used the computer how it was given to me.

What kind of processor is it? If it's an Intel, you should be safe. Those typically don't die from overheating. If it's an AMD it may be fried.

Is this a computer that you have used and know has worked, or is it something you've got from someone? Did the fans spin from the start?

Quote from: Adron on July 20, 2004, 01:13 PM
What kind of processor is it? If it's an Intel, you should be safe. Those typically don't die from overheating. If it's an AMD it may be fried.

Intel actually protects its self, it down clocks when its built in thermoster says its getting too hot. AMD should down clock too, because some motherboards will downclock the processor when the thermoster on the motherboard says its getting too hot.

If your processor is fried the pc is not going to boot at all. Do you have a motherboard speaker or does your motherboard come with diods to diagnose an error?

I really don't know a lot about it.  It was given to me with no manuals and such, and the person who gave it to me doesn't have a clue about computers, so that's out.  It's an AMD Duron.  The system does boot up, however.  When the system starts, the fan tries to go, but it doesn't make a full rotation.  It just kind of goes back and forth in a swish back and forth motion left-to-right.  I can however, with my finger, easily make it do a full rotation, but perhaps it's jammed to where the PSU itself can't handle making it do a full rotation?

Ah -- remove all the cards, remove the floppy cables, hard drive cables, cdrom/dvd cables, and disconnect the power to all those peripherals.  With ALL the addin boards (PCI cards, maybe an old ISA card?) removed, try to power on.  If it powers on, turn off and add one device at a time until it stops powering on.  You found the culprit.

If after removing eveything it still does not power on (spin the fans), try removing the motherboard from the case, blowing it off with compressed air, cleaning out the case, checking for screws that might have been loose and gotten under the motherboard.  Those can short the motherboard and it will not boot.  Happened to me.

Check that all the posts that the motherboard sits on actually have holes in the same locations on the motherboard.  Some amateurs (and professionals) will accidentally put a post in the case where there is no motherboard screw hole.  The post then touches the backside of the motherboard, which can create a short to ground.

Alright, I'll do that.  But just note that it boots up...The BIOS loads and such, it just doesn't make it very far, and it just says "PLEASE WAIT..." ~ The problem is the fans just don't properly spin when it boots up causing the processor to get very hot I believe.  Also, it's an AMD Duron (the computer I use is Intel).

Did you make sure the fans were plugged in properly may wanna just unplug and replug them in. Also did you use a program to repartition to dual boot and if so was it a cracked copy?

No, just setup a new partition with Microsoft's partitioner that comes with their Windows OS.  Also, the version is paid for and licensed, even though my friend purchased it, and then gave it to me.

I think the problem is that the fan is just broken.  :O

*sort of off-topic*

You said something about thermal goo, Grok. When I bought my heatsink, it only had this little copper circle that pushes agains't the CPU. Was I suppost to apply thermal goo? I didn't see anything about it in the manual...

Quote from: Eli_1 on July 20, 2004, 07:18 PM
*sort of off-topic*

You said something about thermal goo, Grok. When I bought my heatsink, it only had this little copper circle that pushes agains't the CPU. Was I suppost to apply thermal goo? I didn't see anything about it in the manual...

There's your problem.  There should be nothing between the heatsink and the CPU except thermal goo.  Go to any computer store and they can give you some or charge you about 15 cents for it.

Quote from: Grok on July 20, 2004, 07:41 PM

Quote from: Eli_1 on July 20, 2004, 07:18 PM
*sort of off-topic*

You said something about thermal goo, Grok. When I bought my heatsink, it only had this little copper circle that pushes agains't the CPU. Was I suppost to apply thermal goo? I didn't see anything about it in the manual...

There's your problem.  There should be nothing between the heatsink and the CPU except thermal goo.  Go to any computer store and they can give you some or charge you about 15 cents for it.

I think he means the "copper circle" as part of the heatsink, like an aluminum sink with a copper core or something.

Quote from: Grok on July 20, 2004, 07:41 PM

Quote from: Eli_1 on July 20, 2004, 07:18 PM
*sort of off-topic*

You said something about thermal goo, Grok. When I bought my heatsink, it only had this little copper circle that pushes agains't the CPU. Was I suppost to apply thermal goo? I didn't see anything about it in the manual...

There's your problem.  There should be nothing between the heatsink and the CPU except thermal goo.  Go to any computer store and they can give you some or charge you about 15 cents for it.

stock intel cpus come with that thermal patch, but I would not use it, its crap. An intel, you can get away with not using thermal paste provided you did not savage the bottom of the heat sink with a knife (the point of the goo is to fill gaps between the heatink and processor) and that it is a decent quality sink and fan. You will not burn you proc if its intel, but if the above it met, it might not even get hot enough to down clock. I am not sure where the downclocking begins. I generally run below 100 degrees even when I oc and am under load. I have a copper heat sink and some pretty good air flow, a low ambient case air temp.


ps: put the paste on the top of the processor, spread it thinly over the processor. Its important to not to just dump the whole tube on it, you do not want the paste to go gushing out the sides when you strap the sink to it. But you do not want to be a whore with it either, make sure it covers the proc nicely. But you apply it on the top of the processor, not on the heat sink, that way you cover the right area and all.